Insights on Publicity Rights

With 2024 underway, our team highlights 10 of the most pressing legal issues facing the media and entertainment industry this year.

In a striking victory for media companies and the First Amendment, a California appeals court recently threw out two-time Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland’s lawsuit against FX, which alleged that the docudrama Feud harmed her reputation and profited off her name without compensating her.

A federal judge in the Northern District of California recently dismissed a complaint in which video game producers claimed that characters from their games had been misappropriated by competing developers, in violation of copyright law.

A judge in New Jersey federal district court recently dismissed a lawsuit brought against The Cartoon Network by a renowned video gamer.

There was good news for those companies that have products with unique designs at the US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The PTO found that the design of a monster truck could be protected and registered as trade dress for the “services” offered by the owner.

The outdoor sporting goods company Bass Pro recently agreed to pay $6 million to settle claims that it violated California privacy laws.